Crate advice please

[Woo]

Hi,

I have decided to crate train my cockapoo but I have had mixed information re paper in the crate.

I have read that puppys/dogs find it unnatural to mess where they sleep so paper should not be put in a crate, but I have also read that you should put down paper in an area of the crate.

Can anyone tell me their experience of crate training and paper or no paper!

Thanks.

[lady amanda]

we did no paper at all in the crate, had a mess 3 nights at first...then nothing

[flounder_1]

We didn't use paper. We had a small crate to start and bought a bigger one when she had grown - although others start with the big one and section an area off. I put a puppy pad under the vetbed that I lined the crate with just in case but soon removed that after a couple of dry nights as Lolly would sometimes have a sneaky chew on it!

I think it's personal choice. I know some here use paper and others don't. Equally I know that some puppies pick up toilet training quicker than others. We were lucky that Lolly picked it up really quickly and we only had one wee in the crate and that was during her first night and never a poo :proud: .

[Woo]

So did you get up through the night to let your pup go to the loo or is the whole point of the crate to help them learn to hold it?

[flounder_1]

So did you get up through the night to let your pup go to the loo or is the whole point of the crate to help them learn to hold it?

We didn't get up but her night wasn't too long as my hubbie is a night owl and my son is an early bird :rolleyes:

So she was often taken out for a last wee around midnight and up at 6/6.30am. She can go much longer now :D We also never lifted her water and she had a bowl in her crate but I know that others take water away in the evening and night.

[Woo]

Thats helpful janet thanks. I go to bed around 11pm and am up at around 6.30am. I was planning to get up twice in the night to take him to the loo to start with but maybe I shouldn't he might learn quicker if I don't.

[2ndhandgal]

Don't forget it is not just a case of learning it is also a case of being old enough to physically have the control to wait just as with children being toilet trained.

[Woo]

Oh, this is going to be my first puppy so alot to learn. So do you think I should get up to take him to the loo at night to start with? May be every 3 hours to start and then every 4 and so on? Any advice on how to go about this will be great.

[Fifi]

Hi Woo

We are just on day 5, I get up once or twice in the night, mine own bladder control is not what it was, LOL! So far Gaia has let us know if she needs to go if we don't get up first. We've had no wee's or poo's in the crate, she will do that when let out. I can't believe how lucky we have been so far. I did put a pad and water in the crate but the first night she spilled the water even though it was hanging on the cage inside and started to rip the pad so both are now removed.
Good luck ;)

[strof51]

Rosie started in a small plastic travel crate in our bedroom so I could react to her stirring through the night. Covered the crate so it was dark inside.
I go to bed late and rise early, and in the first couple off weeks she would wake once but this quickly settled down to her sleeping through.
She is now 5 months and sleeps with Poppy, she is still crated if she is left more than 2 hours during the day but totally house trained now no mess in the crate when left.
Wish we had been more stern with Poppy's crate training as we left the door open and she had the run of the kitchen took a lot longer to house train her.
Take your puppy out last thing at night even if you have to wake the puppy, I still do this with both and is part of their routine now.
We got a box of 80 puppy pads the day we got Rosie, still have 70.
Good luck with your puppy and hope you are as lucky with your crate and house training as we have been.

[Hfd]

Hi - we have had Billy 5 weeks and he is nearly 13 weeks old. We bought a full size crate and put bedding in one half and a puppy pad at the front. Billy did a wee for a couple of nights and then didnt use after that, we stopped putting one in 2 weeks ago and there have been no accidents so it worked really well for us.
We didn't get up during the night at all either, he slept 11pm till 5.30Am for a few nights then went till about 7am which suits us.
Best of luck with it all. x

[colpa110]

There will be lots of different advice on this and as a first time dog owner
I was a bit confused by what was best to do. We had quite a small crate and
put a puppy pad in the front but fortunatley Betty has never wee'd or poo'd in her crate. Someone on here ( can't remember who now..) said not to get up in the night unless your puppy tells you it needs to go out ( why break your own sleep if you dont need to ).. I thought that sounded like good advice( and easier for me to be honest) and fortunately I NEVER had to get up in the night at all..of course I could just have been lucky and all dogs are different.. I think it's best just not to have your ideas cast in stone and be preapred try try different things to see what works best for you
( Betty is now 5 Months onld). Good luck with everything.

[P Weeks]

My puppy hated his crate..so have abolished it for now...although i have mixed feelings about my decision, as he is becomming a real chewer and a little naughty.. But he loves his new bed!!